Brahms and Liszt are crowd-pleasers in any concert programme, Romantic giants
of orchestral forces. Organists are always rather pleased to play pieces by
composers that the general public will have heard of; Bach excluded. This
debut solo recording from David Pipe - no name jokes please - showcases the
best of the organ repertoire that these great men wrote, as well as several
transcriptions. The original works work fantastically well on the organ of
York Minster, originally a Walker but much altered. It has the vast tonal
palette of 8’ registers to give the warm sonority that is expected of
Romantic instruments. The first Brahms piece, the G minor Prelude,
is clear and rhythmical yet exciting and unexpected; the Fugue is well
controlled. The other original Brahms work on the disc, Chorale Prelude
& Fugue on “O Traurigkeit”, begins with a beautifully
played chorale prelude, showing the clear influence of Bach as well as foreshadowing
the later chorale preludes. The solo stop used here is clear and the sound
is round and warm. The Fugue, which doesn’t use a strict form
as the pedal never plays the subject but a statement of the chorale melody,
contains just the right amount of rubato - Pipe points out the moments of
expression without overtly making the listener aware of what he is doing.
Liszt’s own transcription of a piano piece Consolation in D flat
gives the listener a chance to experience some of the quieter sounds on the
organ as well as demonstrating Pipe’s ability to “orchestrate”
the piece using registration changes. The same can be said for Ave Maria
von Arcadelt, which is a musical reflection on the motet attributed to
Jacob Arcadelt.

The central and most impressive presence is Liszt’s Fantasie und
Fuge über das Thema BACH which is a stunning piece. It obsessively
uses the BACH motif: B flat A C B in German notation. This was originally
written for organ but was transcribed for piano. In 2005 French organ virtuoso
Jean Guillou created a version based on a fusion of the organ original and
the piano reworking. This resulted in something difficult but not necessarily
more enjoyable than the original organ version. The sure-fingered Pipe really
takes this music by the throat and makes it his own. The virtuosic flourishes
originally intended for the piano, cause him no problems. The relentless theme
is characterised each time so that it couldn’t possibly sound tired
or over-used.

Pipe’s own transcriptions work very well. His ability to perceive the
organ in terms of orchestral colours means that his transcriptions are thought
of in this way. The last movement of Brahms’ 4th Symphony
has drive and passion comparable to orchestral recordings. Liszt’s Il
penseroso, this time transcribed from a piano piece, relates less well
to the original due to the different forces but still makes an interesting
project. A delicate and assured performance works to the performer’s
credit.

The choice of repertoire, instrument and player combine to make this the perfect
candidate for a CD of the month. Subsequent recordings from David Pipe should
be eagerly awaited.

Hannah Parry-Ridout

Sure-fingered and footed, this recording is truly excellent and will appeal
especially to those who don’t usually listen to organ music.